The

EARTH
SYSTEMS
 What is System?
The set of interconnected components that are
interacting to form a unified whole.

“We are all connected; To each other,

biologically. To the earth, chemically.
To the rest of the universe atomically.”
― Neil DeGrasse Tyson
The Earth’s Subsystem
GEOSPHERE
The solid Earth consisting of the entire planet
from the center of the core to the outer crust
The Major Layers of Geosphere
•
Core
•
Mantle
•
Crust
HYDROSPHERE
All the waters of the earth
- oceans, rivers, and lakes,
aquifers, and the moisture in
the atmosphere
 BIOSPHERE
The zone of life on Earth, also known as the
Ecosphere
 ATMOSPHERE
- It contains all the air in the Earth’s systems
- 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon and
0.1% other gases
- extends from less than 1 m below the
planet's surface to more than 10,000 km
above the planet's surface
AURORA BOREALIS
AURORA AUSTRALIS
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE
The study of the interaction of Earth as a
system
Human Impact on Earth’s Spheres
Human Impacts on the
GEOSPHERE
How do humans negatively affect the
Geosphere?
Deforestation
Urbanization
Mining
Human Impacts on the
HYDROSPHERE
How do humans negatively affect our
Water Resources?
Water Pollution
Acid Rain
Human Impacts on the
ATMOSPHERE
How do humans negatively affect the
Atmosphere?
Burning of Fossil Fuels
Air Pollution
Human Impacts on the
BIOSPHERE
How do humans negatively affect the
biosphere?
Overfishing